Just One Day
by VietAngel
Summary: Alec gets everything he could ever want in one day, and loses it in an instant. AU, AlecAsha
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: The usual. I don't own these characters--Cameron & Eglee blah, blah, blah.  
  
Note: This one is extremely sad and depressing, but I still think it brings out something good between Alec and Asha. It says a lot about Alec that you wouldn't expect from the way his character was portrayed on the show.  
  
Note (3/28/04): I had that problem with ellipses being turned into single periods, so I'm going back and reloading some of my older stories. I didn't really like the original format of this one either, so that's been redone also.  
  
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That day was emblazoned in his mind. The last day he saw her. It wasn't really the last day he saw her, but it was the last day he saw her as she was...as he wanted to remember her. The sun was shining and she was so beautiful. She was always beautiful, but that day she was exceptionally so. She was standing there waiting for him. He spotted her first and he marveled at the sight. The sunrays were hitting her hair at just the right angle, making it look like strands of golden spun silk. Beautiful tendrils framed her face as the wind blew them about. She turned and spotted him, and she smiled. That gorgeous smile...the sun paled in comparison, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of it.  
  
When he smiled back he saw her eyes dance. She had such amazing eyes, brilliant blue eyes...intense eyes. She was happy; the happiest he had ever seen her. If he hadn't been so mesmerized by her, maybe he could have done something. Maybe he could have moved just a little bit sooner, just a little bit faster. She never even saw it coming. She never saw that car coming toward her...going way too fast. She never saw it veer to the left, out of control. She never saw, she never knew, she never had a chance. She had only wondered curiously as he began to scream and run toward her. It was too late, and he was too slow. Transgenic speed, but he was still too slow. He could only look on in horror as her body hit the windshield. His enhanced hearing picked up a sickening crack, and he didn't know if it was the sound of her bones or the window breaking.  
  
He could only watch in horror as her body hit the ground. It seemed to take forever to reach her. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. Seconds seemed like hours to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't have moved her, but he cradled her in his arms. She screamed in pain at his touch, but he wanted to hold her...to make her feel safe. Ha! Safe, how could she feel safe when she was lying broken and bloody? How could she feel safe with him when he hadn't been fast enough to save her? Blood, there was so much blood. Blood from her nose, her mouth, he could feel warm liquid covering his hand as he supported the back of her head. Beautiful gold tendrils were now red and matted. Blood was life, and it was leaving her.  
  
He could hardly believe that this was the same woman who radiated such light just seconds ago. This was the same woman he spent the whole day making love to the day before. The woman whose skin smelled of honey and clean linen, and hair smelled of lilies. He remembered every touch, every taste, every moan, every whisper, every inch of her silken skin. He wished he hadn't spent so much time pushing her away. He told her that he couldn't love her, and that loving him would only get her killed. He told her to beat it. She did, but not because he told her to. Little did he know, she wasn't one to give up that easily. She was just tired that day, tired of everything...especially him.  
  
No, she didn't give up. She didn't give up until she got what she wanted, and he got what he didn't want to admit he wanted. Every time he pushed, she pulled. He told her he would be the death of her. She told him he should get over himself; she could get herself killed just fine without any help from him. After all, the S1W didn't sit around playing cards all day. He couldn't argue with her. She pulled and pulled until he gave in, and he was so glad he did. They had made love the day before, and he had experienced the closest thing he'll ever get to heaven. She was heaven. He loved heaven...he loved her. That day he gave in, he told her that he loved her, he told her that he wanted to be with her forever. He told her all the things he had wanted to tell her for so long. They had spent hours talking. Forever was just beginning. She was meeting him so they could begin their forever together.  
  
He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them he would wake up from the nightmare he was trapped in. This couldn't be the end when they were just getting started. He opened his eyes when he felt delicate fingers on his face. "Please don't cry," she said in a whisper so soft even he could barely hear it. He hadn't even realized he was crying. He looked down to find two familiar blue orbs looking up at him. Her eyes were the same, but her body was foreign to him. She looked so fragile, so frail-so broken, like some child's abandoned rag doll thrown in a corner.  
  
She smiled at him, and he tried his best to return it. He took her hand and kissed it softly. Her lips parted to say something else but he stopped her by kissing them. "Shh, don't talk. It's ok baby, you're going to be ok," he said. "No, I won't," she said softly. She coughed and tried to scream in pain, but the blood that poured out muffled the sound. He kissed her hand, her forehead, her lips. She was so cold. Someone in the crowd that had gathered handed him a jacket to cover her with. He just wanted to make it better. He just wanted to take the pain away, but there was nothing he could do. "I love you so much. You're going to be fine, you have to be," he said. "I-I love you too. Always re-remember that," she said softly. It was getting harder and harder for her to speak, her breathing was shallow, and she could barely keep her eyes open.  
  
"No, no, no. Sweetie you have to keep your eyes open. You have to stay awake. Talk to me, tell me where it hurts," he said, voice quivering. "It doesn't hurt. I can't feel anything," she slurred. 'Shit, that's a bad sign' he thought. No, he couldn't think like that. She had to be ok, but she was hurt so badly. He noticed she hadn't moved her legs. Maybe she would be paralyzed, he could handle that, as long as she was with him he could handle anything. He looked down at her. Her eyes were closed. "Asha! Asha, wake up! Please, I'm sorry! I wasn't fast enough. Please baby, open those beautiful blue eyes for me," he yelled through his sobs. She did as he said, but his heart broke when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. "I'm s-sorry. It's n-not your fault, don't blame yourself. I do-don't want to make y-you sad. I love you Alec," she whispered. He no longer cared about holding back his tears. She meant more to him than his pride. "I love you too Asha, more than anything. You can't leave me now, please don't leave me. We have our whole lives ahead of us," he said.  
  
She smiled and tried to wipe away his tears. Suddenly her eyes closed, and her hand fell away. No matter how much he yelled and tried to wake her, her eyes remained closed. Where the hell was that ambulance? It had really only been minutes, but it seemed like hours to him. He was losing the woman he loved, and there was no such thing as fast enough. He felt for a pulse. She still had one, but it was very faint. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be losing another woman he loved. Just the day before she was in his arms, giggling as his lips and hands wandered over every inch of her skin...explored every perfect curve. Just that morning he woke up with his head on her chest, listening to her strong heartbeat, and now it was fading.  
  
Finally, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics told him he couldn't go with her, and out of desperation he said that he was her husband. It wasn't a total lie, he knew in that moment that's what he really wanted. He just couldn't let her go. He couldn't bear the thought of her waking up alone and in pain. He kissed her lips one last time before the people trying to save her life swarmed her. He held her hand the whole way to the hospital. When they finally arrived, the doctors had to pry her hand from his so she could be rushed to the OR.  
  
They found him sitting in a waiting room. He was staring at the walls, not moving and covered in blood...her blood. They knew his mind was with her. They saw it all on the news and rushed to the hospital as soon as they figured out who it was. Logan cried when the hover drone zoomed in and he saw Alec cradling her lifeless body. She was the closest thing he ever had to a little sister. Max had never understood their relationship until that moment, and she regretted her jealousy. Asha had a good heart, and Max felt guilty for not treating her better. They sat down on either side of him and no one talked. There was nothing they could say, nothing they could do to make him feel better.  
  
They knew he loved her. Even a blind man could see the sparks between them. He tried so hard to push her away, but they all knew it was out of love. He didn't want her to get hurt because of him. Now he felt like a fool because she got hurt despite him. So much time wasted, so many opportunities to have her in his arms blown. Periodically, a doctor would come out and give "Mr. Barlow" an update. In response to their confused faces, Alec told them what he said to the paramedics so they would let him come with her. Logan took the opportunity to deal the best way he knew how- by working. He put in a phone call and had an associate draw up the proper documents just in case someone decided to check on "Mr. Barlow", and in case any medical decisions had to be made for Asha.  
  
They sat in silence for hours, hoping and praying that she would be ok. The doctor finally came out, but the defeated look on his face told them that the news wasn't good. "I'm afraid I don't have much good news for you, Mr. Barlow. She had several broken ribs, a punctured her lung, a ruptured spleen, two broken vertebrae, and both of her legs were broken in several places. We managed to stop the internal bleeding and repair that and the broken bones as best we could. However, our main concern is her head trauma. We tried to relieve some of the pressure on her brain, but there's not much more we can do about that. I'm sorry sir, but she's in a coma and she's not breathing on her own-we have her on a respirator," he said. Alec, Logan, and Max were all devastated by the news.  
  
"Is there a chance that she'll come out of it?" Alec said, voice quivering. "It's been known to happen, but I don't want to give you false hope. It's very unlikely. I'm very sorry sir," he answered. "Can I see her?" Alec asked. "Sure, right this way," the doctor said. Max and Logan followed also. They let Alec go into the room alone, while they waited out in the hallway. His heart broke at the sight of her, and he broke down. She was lying in bed swarmed in gauze, tubes, and monitors. She was bruised and purple all over, and she looked so tiny and fragile. The doctor attempted to comfort Alec as best he could. "Is she in any pain?" Alec asked. "No, you don't have to worry. She's not in any pain. Talk to her, it could help. If you need anything, or have anymore questions, just use the call button and a nurse will come," the doctor said reassuringly, before leaving to give Alec some privacy.  
  
Alec knew he had to pull it together. She wouldn't want to see him that way. He pulled a chair up beside her bed, and took her hand. He kissed her hand gently, not totally reassured by the doctor's words, he didn't want to hurt her. He sat there for a while, just listening to the steady rhythm of the respirator and beeps of the monitors. "You just rest now, it's going to be okay. I love you," he whispered in her ear. Logan and Max decided to peek in and see what was going on. Alec waved them in when he saw them standing at the door. "The doctor said talking to her might help," Alec said sadly. Logan took a seat on the other side of Asha's bed. "Hey kid, you rest now, but I fully expect you to be up and running soon. Remember that time you fell two stories trying to sneak out of your bedroom window? Well, I do. You had a few breaks and bruises but you were fine. You have to fight this Asha. We all need you," he said. He then kissed her gauze- covered forehead and moved to let Max take his seat.  
  
"Hey Blondie, rough day huh?" Max said as she sat down, "I know we're not even close to being best friends, but that doesn't mean I don't need you around. Somebody has to keep Boy Wonder over here out of my hair and out of trouble, and you're the perfect girl for the job. He loves you. Damn girl, one night together and you have him whipped already. Wake up soon so you can teach me how to do that to Logan, ok?" She gave Asha's hand a squeeze, hoping there would be some kind of reaction. Max and Logan stayed until visiting hours were over. Alec refused to leave her side, so the nurse brought a cot in so he could stay with her. _______________________________________________  
  
"Hey Blondie, what's a little hottie like you doing in a place like this?" said Original Cindy, "Now boo, you know you need to get your sexy ass up out of this bed. That fool is lost without you." And that's how it went. Days, then months, then weeks had passed and Asha's condition hadn't improved. Several members of the S1W, Max, Logan, Original Cindy, and Sketchy all filtered in and out of Asha's room at various times. Alec had become a constant fixture at the hospital. All the nurses knew him by name. The only times he would leave Asha's side were when he would go home to get cleaned up and change, and it took Max's nagging to get him to do that.  
  
Logan and the S1W worked together to keep Asha's hefty medical bills paid, but it was becoming harder and harder. Everyone except Alec accepted the fact that she wasn't improving and it would probably be best to let her go. However, nobody had the heart to tell him. One day when he was getting back from one of his rare trips home, something made Alec stop just out side Asha's hospital room door. He just stood there staring at her.  
  
The gauze and monitors that had surrounded her just after the accident had slowly been reduced to just the respirator and a heart monitor. Her bruises had faded and her bones had healed, but something inside just wasn't right. Her hair had grown, and it was fanned out on her pillow. She was as beautiful as ever. If he hadn't known better he would have thought she was just sleeping. She reminded him of something. Oh yeah, he remembered now. One day while they were all gathered at Logan's apartment for dinner after successfully completing a mission. Asha had bounded in excitedly, with some pre-pulse videotape in hand.  
  
She showed it to Logan and he was excited about it too. Max and Alec couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, so they all watched it together. It was called Sleeping Beauty. That's what she reminded him of...the girl in the movie. She was the beautiful blonde princess and she needed the handsome prince to come and save her. That's what he wanted to be; he wanted to be her prince. He wanted to be the one to save her, but this wasn't a fairytale-it was real life. In that moment he knew exactly what he had to do.  
  
"I can't do this. It can't be over already when we never had a chance to get started. We had one day. It's not fair," Alec said. "I agree, it's not fair and it's not easy. You only had a day, but in that day you gave each other more love than most people will experience in a lifetime. You made her happy," Logan said. "I already lost one woman I loved, to lose two is like some kind of cosmic joke. It's just so hard. I look at her lying in that bed and she's so beautiful I just want to watch her sleep forever. I forget about the monitors and tubes. Sometimes I forget she's not asleep," Alec said with a shaky voice, "It's just not fair. She's so young. She's never going to get to do all the things she wanted to do, experience all that she wanted to experience. She told me she wanted to travel the world before she was 30, then settle down and get married and have babies. She wanted to be able to tell her kids about all the things she saw. It hurts so much to know that I can't give her that now."  
  
"It's never easy to lose someone you love. If it weren't for Asha, I probably wouldn't have made it when I thought Max was dead. You're losing the love of your life, the S1W and everyone else is losing a good friend, and I'm losing a friend, colleague, and little sister all rolled into one. My best friend's kid sister who used to love to follow her big brother, the beautiful blue eyed little girl I watched grow in to a gorgeous and amazing woman. So yes, it's hard. But you know as well as I do that Asha was...is a free spirit. She was born to fly. She wouldn't want this for herself and more than anything she wouldn't want you to suffer with her," Logan said. Alec just nodded. He knew there was no avoiding it now.  
  
Alec had informed the doctor and everyone else of his decision. The doctor, Max, Logan, Original Cindy, Sketchy, and several SIW members were standing around Asha's room. They had all said their goodbyes, and now it was Alec's turn. He approached the bed and gently shifted Asha so he could crawl in beside her. He took her hand in his and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. He kissed her hand, then her cheek. "Hey Sleeping Beauty," he whispered, "In the movie you wake up when the prince kisses you. Well, here I am. I'm going to kiss you soon, and I want you to take a deep breath and open you eyes. If you don't I know I'll have to let you go, and I don't want to do that. What's a prince without his princess? Nothing, I'm nothing without you baby. So here goes."  
  
The tension was thick in the room. Everyone wanted the fairy tale ending, even though it was highly unlikely. The doctor approached the bed and removed the tubes from Asha's throat. Alec turned her head so she was facing him and gave her a long soft kiss. "Please breathe baby, you have to breathe," Alec sobbed. She never did. She was gone. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even Max was crying. There was nothing more they could do, so everyone slowly filtered out of the room. Alec remained in bed with her, holding her and stroking her hair long after everyone else left. Letting her go was a lot harder than he could ever imagine... 


	2. Chapter 2

He kneeled down to place the flowers in front of her gravestone then gently pressed his lips to it. It was raining. It always seemed to rain when he was there. It masked his tears, that was the only plus. It had been years, but it never got any easier. He still loved her just as fiercely as he had when she was alive. That's why he came every year on her birthday, and Christmas, and Mother's Day...all the holidays he wished he could have celebrated with her. Everyone had expected him to move on one day, but he just couldn't do that. There wasn't a woman alive who could ever take her place. He knew he could never be happy without her, so he put all his energy into finding the person who took her away from him. The car that hit her never stopped. He knew it was more than just your average hit and run. Looking back at the footage from the hover drone, he saw that the car had no plates, and very darkly tinted windows. "Don't worry baby, I'm going to find out who did this to you...and once I make them pay, we'll be together again. I love you baby," he said. He had been working at it for years, and he was finally getting somewhere. Soon, his final mission would be complete.  
  
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Birds know it's best  
  
To fly  
  
And not stick around  
  
And cry  
  
If there is a chance  
  
Just one in this world  
  
That we'll ever dance  
  
Again as it turns  
  
If there is a chance  
  
If there is a way  
  
There's one record left  
  
That you haven't heard  
  
And I'll keep it spinning  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Cardigans 


End file.
